Zooey Deschanel and Taye Diggs performing Beauty and the Beast concert in Hollywood

13 March 2018

Newsdesk

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Actress Zooey Deschanel is stepping into the role of Belle for an all-star concert performance featuring the music of Disney classic Beauty and the Beast.

The New Girl star will be joined by Kelsey Grammer as Lumiere, former The Voice contestant Anthony Evans as the Beast, and 30 Rock's Jane Krakowski as Mrs. Potts.

Former Broadway star Taye Diggs will play villain Gaston, alongside Australian funnywoman Rebel Wilson as his sidekick LeFou, a character traditionally portrayed onscreen as a man, most recently by Josh Gad in last year's (17) live action adaptation.

The special two-night event, titled Beauty and the Beast Live in Concert, will take place at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles in May (18), when the cast will be accompanied by a live orchestra.

"Performing Beauty and the Beast, one of my favorite movies growing up, in a special concert at the legendary Hollywood Bowl, is a dream come true," gushes Deschanel in a statement. "I am looking forward to what I'm sure will be a magical event."

Former Frasier star Grammer, who will sing the track Be Our Guest, originally performed by late actor Jerry Orbach in the 1991 animated movie, adds, "Walking in the footsteps of such a brilliant cast is an honour; and as for singing the music of the incomparable (composer) Alan Menken - it goes without saying."

Richard Kraft will direct the concerts, two years after bringing The Little Mermaid Live in Concert to the stage at the same fabled venue in 2016, when Rebel portrayed the evil Ursula opposite Sara Bareilles as lead character Ariel.

"Like our celebration of Disney's The Little Mermaid in Concert at the Hollywood Bowl," he shares, "we are mixing film, live music, singers, dancers, digital projections, effects, and special guest artists to create an event that pays homage to the original movie but also delivers something that can only be experienced live."